Eritrean rider Daniel Teklehaimanot today re-writes the history of cycling at the Tour de France once and for all. From being the first black African to compete at the Tour to the first African to wear a jersey as he takes the King of the Mountain title at the Stage 6.

Eritrean cyclist Daniel Teklehaimanot was first on the hilltop of the Côte de Canapville in the seventh stage of the Tour de France race today. That meant one more point for his king of the mountains polkadot jersey.

There is much enthusiasm in Eritrea about this.

Eritrean sports journalist Habtom Yohannis tells that when Eritrea was still an Italian colony, there was a race with Italian and Eritrean participants. An Eritrean won, making dictator Mussolini angry.

There happened more. Tony Martin from Germany, in the same team as Stybar, and in the overall leader’s yellow jersey, fell not far from the finish line and is injured. UPDATE: Tony Martin will not start tomorrow.

A first in this stage: Daniel Teklehaimanot from Eritrea finished first on three hilltops today. That meant he now has the right to wear the king of the mountains white and red polkadot shirt. Daniel Teklehaimanot is the first Eritrean cyclist ever, and the first African cyclist ever, to wear this shirt.

The supporters of Dutch participant Laurens ten Dam had gathered. When the cyclist passed they loudly chanted his name and cheered.

Laurens ten Dam did not win the time trial. Australian Rohan Dennis won. Ten Dam is not a time trial specialist, but a mountain climbing specialist. He finished #91 of 198 riders. However, last year he was #9 overall in the Tour.

At #146 came another mountain stage specialist: Daniel Teklehaimanot. He started at 2pm as the first one of all riders. He is one of the first two cyclists ever from Eritrea participating in the Tour de France. Merhawi Kudus is the other Eritrean. They both ride in the first African (South African) team ever in the Tour. Like Ten Dam, they will probably get better results in later, steeper stages than on this first day.

Team MTN Qhubeka are the first Pro Continental Cycling Team from Africa – this is their story. From South Africa to the rest of the world, the team have made their mark on the sport. Watch the first episode of An African Bicycle Dream here.

And this video is the sequel.

Today, the Tour De France organisers have said that Team MTN Qhubeka has been invited to participate in the race, as the first African team ever.

Impey finished the stage of today, to Montpellier in southern France, in 13th place; while his team-mate and former race leader Simon Gerrans from Australia was 48th. Gerrans finished five seconds behind Impey.

Third was Danny van Poppel from the Netherlands. Danny van Poppel is only 19 year old, making him the youngest ever Dutch cyclist, and the youngest post-1945 cyclist from anywhere, to ride in the Tour de France. His third place of today means that tomorrow, Danny will ride in the white jersey for the best young participant. The other young participants are in their early twenties.

More about Danny van Poppel, in this Tour de France with his big brother and his father, is here.